(EnergyAsia, January 17) — Petronas, Malaysia’ states oil and gas company, said it has launched its range of premium grade automotive engine oils in Japan, officially entering the country’s lubricants market. Petronas said its range of SYNTIUM synthetic lubricants, will initially be made available in Nagoya and Tokyo cities, and subsequently to other parts...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — Thailand’s state upstream company PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) has presented its capital and operating expenditure plan for the five-year period from 2007 to 2011. The company plans to invest a total of 284,710 million baht in 34 projects, which include the oil and gas fields in Bongkot,...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — A private local company has begun building a 5MW hydroelectric plant in Quang Tin commune in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. The Hoang Nguyen Co is building the VND103 billion plant inside the Dak R’Lap district in Dak Nong province. (US$1=VND16,000). Chairman Nguyen Hoang Tuan, a former executive of PetroVietnam, said his...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — Energy major BP has named Pek Hak Bin, 42, as head of its Singapore and Thailand operations, succeeding Wu Shen Kong, 61, who retired. Mr Pek will retain his post as BP’s head of tax for the Asia-Pacific region. Mr Pek, a former executie at Halliburton and Ernst & Young,...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — India’s state upstream company Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) has declared its highest-ever interim dividend of Rs18 per share at its recent board meeting in New Delhi. The sharply higher pay-out is based on the company’s post-bonus expanded equity capital. In early 2006, ONGC had issued bonus shares...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — PetroChina Company Limited said it recently broke ground for a new 10 million tons per year oil refining project in Qinzhou city in China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The plant, the company’s first in southwestern China, consists of a 10 million ton per year atmospheric vacuum unit, an oil wharf...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — PetroChina Company Limited said its business operations grew rapidly last year, leveraging on the country’s fast economic growth and consumption of oil and gas. While its oil and gas exploration and production hit new highs, PetroChina said its refining and chemical businesses along with its sales and marketing of oil...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — In its latest report titled ‘South East Asia Gas Prices Ð A new regional order’, consultant Wood Mackenzie identifies critical issues driving future gas prices in the region and considers the opportunities and challenges ahead for gas sellers, buyers and regulators/governments. Speaking ahead of his presentation at the INDOGAS Conference...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — Canadian upstream company Encana said an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, EnCana (Chad) Holdings Ltd, has closed an agreement to sell all of its interests in its exploration assets in Chad to CNPC International (Chad) Ltd, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) for around US$202.5 million. As...
(EnergyAsia, January 17) — India’s state-owned oil refiners have started to buy more ethanol in the key states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The purchases by Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and IBP Co will be important as the country aims to achieve a 5% biofuels blending mandate. ...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — Indian Oil Corporation Limited recently raised a yen-equivalent loan of US$200 million for refinancing an existing syndicated term loan facility that it took out in FY2004 for capital expenditure. The residual period of the facility is about three years. The loan agreement was signed in Hong Kong by S.V. Narasimhan, IndianOil’s...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — India’s ethanol tech and equipment firm Praj Industries said it received more orders from the US, including an order for a sugar-cane based project. With the latest orders, from Missouri Valley Energy and Louisiana Green Fuels, Praj said it will have supplied technology and equipment to the US capable of...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — PerkinElmer has developed a new brochure to help outline and navigate the range of analysis tools available to test biofuels according to required methods and to ensure regulatory compliance. For laboratories already engaged in biofuels analysis or for laboratories just starting up in this rapidly growing industry, PerkinElmer has developed...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — PetroChina Company Limited said it has completed the acquisition of a 67% interest in PetroKazakhstan from PetroChina’s parent company China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). The transaction was completed through CNPC Exploration and Development, a joint venture with CNPC. The new deal further strengthens PetroChina’s sustainable growth potential in international oil...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — UK-based energy major BP has announced that upstream chief Tony Hayward will succeed John Browne as CEO from August 1. Mr Browne will retire after more than a decade in the CEO. Chairman Peter Sutherland said: “John Browne is the greatest British businessman of his generation and has transformed BP...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it will no longer consider the financing package of Russia’s Sakhalin II project that it had been considering for the past five years following a “significant change” in the ownership of the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company. The EBRD said that if the new group...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — BP Alternative Energy North America Inc, a unit of the UK energy major, has announced that it will build five wind power generation projects in the US this year. Located in the states of California, Colorado, North Dakota and Texas, the projects are expected to deliver a combined generation capacity of...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — Singapore-listed listed SSH Corporation Ltd has announced strong performance for the six months ended November 30, with earnings per share rising to 1.54 cents from 0.96 cent in the same period last year. The company said shareholders will be rewarded with a dividend of 0.55 cent per ordinary share for the...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — Singapore’s maritme authority has reported a collision between two port-limit bunker tankers, Seafalcon (1,187 GT) and Frontek (2,836 GT) in its Southern Fairway waters, about 500m south of St John’s Island, on January 11. There was no report of injury to the crew of either tanker. Frontek sustained minor damage...
(EnergyAsia, January 16) — India’s Haryana state has introduced measures to make the use of solar power-based water heaters mandatory in certain types of buildings. These include industrial buildings, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, jails barracks, canteens, and residential buildings exceeding 500 square yards in size. All government buildings, schools, colleges and universities will also...
(EnergyAsia, January 15) — Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd, will spearhead the Asia Pacific expansion of Phanix SonnenStrom AG, a leading European photovoltaic (PV) solar systems integrator. Phoenix Solar, the regional subsidiary of Phanix SonnenStrom AG, will focus on the fast-growing Asia-Pacific markets, on which regional governments are placing increasing priority. Phoenix Solar designs and...
(EnergyAsia, January 15) — The biofuels industry received a major boost at this week’s meeting of the leaders of 16 Asian countries in the Philippine island resort of Cebu. The 10-member ASEAN group and its six dialogue partners signed the Cebu Goals on East Asian Energy Security pledging to improve the region’s energy efficiency, combat...
(EnergyAsia, January 15) — The Philippine government is looking to step up the cultivation of sugarcane as a feedstock for the production of ethanol. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said that the move will boost employment in the country’s farmland as well as reduce the country’s dependence on imported oil. Ethanol will also be a...
(EnergyAsia, January 15) — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed into law the Biofuels Act (RA 9367) mandating that liquid fuels for vehicles sold in the country must contain biofuel blends. The new law calls for the introduction of a 10% blend within the first four years, starting with a 1% biodiesel blend within...
(EnergyAsia, January 15) — Japan’s Sharp Corp, the world’s largest solar cell manufacturer, said it has started up a new plant in Toyama prefectures and will expand an existing plant in Nara prefecture. The Katsuragi plant in Nara will be expanded by 110 MW to 710 MW from March to meet rising demand for...